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BALLYKEEL CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
The Trustees present thelr Annual Report and Financial Ststements for the year ended 31 December 2023 Includlng a
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
8allykeel Congregatlon of the Presbyterlan Churth in Ireland
23 Crebilly Road
Ballymena
8T42 4DN
Reglstered Charlty In Northern Ireland (NIC105290)
CHARITY TRUSTEES
The CharSty Trustees who seThed durlng the year or who were trustees at the date of this report weie
Mr Frantis McKendry
Rev Dr Martin McNeely
MrThomas Simpson
Mr lan Fretwell (Retired 28 November 20231
Mr John Mcvlcker
Mr Davld Moore
Mf Andrew Houston
Mr Gregory Balrd
Mr Trevor Mcmullan
PRINCIPAL OFFICE BEARERS
Minister
Cleik of Se5slon
Secretary
Treasurer
Rev. Drmartln McNeely
MrThomas Slmpson
Ms Marie Shiels
Mr Mlchael Scroggie
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Mr John Flnnegan
Potter Flnnegan Llmlted
Unlt 25 The Courtyard Buslness Park
190 Galgorm Rood
Ballymena
8T42 IHL
BANKÉRS
Danske Bank
1-2 Broadway
Ballymena
8T43 7PE
50LICITORS
McKeJvill Neilty
l Broadway Avenue
Ballymena
BT43 7AA

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BALLYKEEL CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (convd)
STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT
The Klrk Sesslon
The charity tru5tee5 of the congregation are the membersof its Kirk Sesslon. Underthe congregatlon's governlng documenL
The Code, the book of the constitution and government of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. the Klrk Sesslon seeks to watch
over and plomote the splrltual interest of the congregation and of persons not connected with any congregatlon who are
within its bounds. It ensures pastofal care is In place in the con8re8ation and seeks to further the contributlon of the Church
to Christian witne55 and 5ervlce in the local community. The Kirk Sessions has delegated to its Congregatlonal Commlttee the
temporal affairs of the congre8atlon Includlng admlnlstering all lunds and property belonging to the congregation, Members
of the Klrk Sesslon are ex-offlclo members of the Congregational Commlttee.
The Klrk Session consists of thè ordained minister and the rullng elders of the congregatlons. All members are entitled to
propose, speak, and exercise equal votes at meetlngs. except that the Moderator, the ministers in active duty in the
congfegatlon, has no deliberative but only a castlng vote.
Stated meetings of the Klrk sesslon are held slx tlmes In each year.
To be chosen for the office of the eldershlp In the congiegatlon a person must be a votlng member and a regular attendant
on Its ordlnances. The selectlon of those proposed to be called to the offlce can be elther by the Congregatlon or by the Klrk
Sesslon, Members are elected if they obtain two-thirds of those who vote.
Presbytery
Under the Presbyterian Church in Ireland form of governance the corporate ovÈrsight of a tongregation is the rèsponsibility
of a P￿$bYtery which superintend5 generally the spiritual ond ternporal affalr5 of the congregations assigned to it by the
General Assembly of the Presbyterlan Church In Ireland. 8allykeel congre£atlon of the Presbyterlan Church has been asslEned
to the Ballymena Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The membership of the Presbytery conslsts maSnly of the
actlve minlsters of congre8ations assi8ned to It by the General Assembly, minsters who have retired from actlve duty and an
elder appolnted by the Klrk Sesslon of the congregatlon.
The General Assemblv
The General Assembty is the supreme court of the Church, representing in one body the whole Church and acting as its
supreme leglslatlve, admlnistration andjudicial authority. in dealin8Wlth all matters brought before it. The General Assembly
is normally constituted during the first week in June for worship and to condurt its business. At the end of buslness, it is
dlssolved. The membership of the General Assembly consists mainly of the active ministers of each congregatlon. retired
rnln5ters and a representatfve elder appolnted by the Klrk Sesslon of each congregatlon.
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
The charitsble purpose of the congregatlon Is the advancement of rellglon.
Ballykeel congregatlon of the Pre5byterlon Church 15 a congregatlon of the Pre5byterlan Church In Ireland. The Presbyterian
Ch¥Jrch in Ireland, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ IS grounded in the Scriptures and exists to love and
honour God through faith in His Son ond by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to play thelr part In tulfllllng
God's mission to our world.

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BALLYKEEL CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE (cont'dl
The congregation's mlssion purpose is to be 3 Church of God's people. called to share and show the Gospel of Christ in every
part of our lives, in every place and by the grace of God- and to help people of all ages become fully devoted followers of
Jesus Christ. Our vislon is, by the 8race of God, to be an incluslve, welcomlng communlty of ChrlsV5 people of all a8es, which:
is intrea5in8ly characteri5ed by love for God. and love and concern for others.
Is commttted to the historic Chrlstian gospel as revealed in the Bible.
is relevant to people of south Ballymena and further afield.
The congregatlon aims to live out its Mission and Vision as a family of God's people by being:
A Covenant Communlty.. where our relationshlps are rooted In the promises of God by livlng falthfully toward hlm and
toward one another.
An Intergenerational Community: where adults intentionally take the lead to engage with, encoura8e, and nurture
younoer membèrs to maturity in Christ.
An Outward looklng Community.. where we want the blessings of God that belong to us In the gospel to become
blessings for others beyond the bounds of our community.
As a con8re8ation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. we believe that the Bible is the supreme authority over all we
do, and that the Westmlnster Confession of Faith. along with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms set out what we
understsnd the Blble teaches on key matters of ChrlstSan falth and practice.
ACTIVITIES AND 08JECTIVES
The congregatlon meets for worshlp every Sunday and vlsitors are wekome to k)In. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper 15
obsetved on several occaslons during the year and all those who have been baptised and who have made a profession of
faith In the Lord Jesus Chrlst are adm5tted to the Lord's Supper. The congregatlon holds regular bible study meetill8s and
has a wide range of or8anisations including..
Sunday School
Yovth Fellowshlp
Mldweek Meeting
Pensioners Dinner
Communlty Servlce
Several blble study groups
An AGM took place on 24th February 2023.
ACHIEVÉMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Worshlp and prayer
The conRregation normally met for worship each Sunday at 10.00am. DurlnE the weel the Thursday 1030 Bible Study
provlded an opportunlty for members to meet forfellowshlp. to studythe scrlpture5 and for a time of prayer. There has been
an encouraglng core of IS or so members meetlng mldweek for the 1030 rneeting. There are 5 new Bible sttjdy groups-
men, I mixed and i women's 8roup. The Women's Fellowship also re-started wlth an average Of 27 member5.
The Church year of 2023 has seen conslderable encouragement In the life of Ballykeel Presbyterian. Of particular note Is the
number of new members who have joined, both through transfer and profe551on of falth. There has also been 3 baptisms
and a steady increase in the number of children invofved in the life of the congre8ation. The atmosphere and sense of
fellowshlp on Sundays as well as through the week ha5 been V￿rrn and welcoming.
Some new initiatives have brought speclfk Increase to the Out￿aCh of the Church. A very successful Alpha course was run
on Sunday evenings during the sprin8. Thi5 Saw UP to 40 people gather round tables to explore the Christian faith. A good
number came from the Igcal community. A new outreach called the Well ha5 commenced on Wednesday mornings. Thls
gatherlng Is almed at people who are free during the day to pop in for a cup of tea, refreshments, and conversatlon. It ha5
attracted a good number of people- agaln, malnly local-with a good spread of age5.
All of the usual ministries of the Church have continued well, from small Broupsto prayer meetlngs, to Young Life on a Sunday
nlght for teenagers. Overall Ballykeel Presbyterian are in a 8ood position both to celebrats 50 yèars of wltness In 2024 and
navigate a new era of vacancy. following the call of the Rev. Dr. Martin McNeely to mls51on work in County Donegal.

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BALLYKEEL CONGREGATION OFTHE PRESBYfERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (cont'd)
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (¢ont'd)
Wor$hlp and prayer l¢onVd}
As well as our regular seNices during the year. we conducfed 3 marriage services and 8ave thart￿ for faithful services and
Sought to comfort those who had been bereaved during the year.
At 31 December 2023 there were 90 communicant members and 160 families connected with the con8re8ation. The average
week attendance at morning worship is 120. The re8uLar evenin8 service gathers up to 25 people.
Normal bu5ifke55 fneetlngs including klrk session and commlttee meetings have tsken place throughout the year.
Pastoral care
Members of the congreEatlon who are unable to attend church due to skkness or age are vlslted on a regular basls by the
minlster. elders or by one of the congregation's pastoral visitors.
Mlsslon and outreach
At a local level. the congregation serves by practlcal witness. prayer. pastoral vlsltatlon. local mlsslon. and outreach In
Ireland and overseas. We support a wlde rarsge of mlsslon includlng Blble teachln& Youth work* practical èid, and
translatlon,
The congregatlon supports the Unlted Appeal for Mlssion whlch is a central fund of the Presbyterlan Church In Ireland. Thls
fund enables con8re8ations to support the wider.mission of the denomination and to do mlssion and outreach on a
denomlnatlonal basis beyond what the congregation coukl do on its own. The Unlted Appeal Fund provldes flnanclal
support for m155lon personnel at hoffle and oversea5. assists congregations with the deployment of locally based stsff,
enables church plantln& provides grant support for the upkeep of church premlses, asslst wrth the runnlng costs of Unlon
Theologlcal College, the Church's tralnlng college for ministry students, and financially supports congregatlon In the areas
of worshlp, disclpleship, global mission, outreach. leadership. and pastoral care.
The congregation also contrlbutes to the denomlnatkon's annual Workl Development Appeal, Sunday School project and
any other special appeals,
Presbytery
The congTegatlon wa5 represented ot the regular meetings of Presbytery by our mlnlster and l or one of the elders. This
provldes an Important link between the con8regotions and the wider structures of the church.
General Assembly
The minister and one of our elders were nomlnated to attend the meetlng of the Generol Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church In Ireland held in As5ernbly Buildin8s, BelfasL in June.
Property
Durlng the year the heatlng pumps were replaced at a cost of £6.000. EI,800 was spent of hedge removal and £1,750 was
spent on general church repairs. There were no other major ￿plaCement or renovation works.
Organisations
Youth fellowshlp
attendance 12
every Sunday evenlng
Sunday School
attendance 30
every Sunday morning
Volunteers
The Trustees wlsh to acknowledge their deep appreciation of those who 8i¥e freely of their time by seNlng on committees
and helpin8 Wlth organisations and other church activities.

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BALLYKEÉL CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYfEREAN CHURCH IN IRELAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT {conVd)
PUBLIC 8ENEFITSTATEMENT
The Presbyterlaft Church in Ireland meets the public benefit ￿qUIre￿￿nt by providing benefit to its member5 and the gerkeral
public by making known the Christian G05pel of the Lord Jesus Christ throu8h the advancement of reli810n.
The direct beneflts whlch flow from the purposes of the Church include the gainiftg of an understanding in Christian beliefs
as set out in the Bible and in the Church's subordinate standards Ithe Westminster Confession of Faith and the Shortef and
Larger Catech15ms1 leadlng to spiritual and moral development and opportunities for response to Bible teaching. In turn, this
framework leads to practical expressions of Christian beliefs and standards In the local community such as through the care
of those In need Ilncluding the sick. disabled. and bereaved).
Generally. the above beneflts are dellvered locally by congregations and thelr members or are facllitated through
presbyterles or are organised and delivered centTrlly. Local delivery15 facllltated by central resource5 In almost all cases.
Publlc access Is made known through the use of notlceboJrds. prlnted materlal, press advertlsement, websltes, and soclal
media or in other ways.
The benef￿$ are demonstrated through regular evaluation of the services and informal and ad-hoc feedback from members,
thelr famllles, and members of the public.
The puipose does not lead to harm. The only private benefit flowlng from our purpose Is related to Mlnlster5, Mlsslonarles,
Deaconesses, Irish Mission workers and Lay Agents who receive benefits as a result of thelr holdlng office or employment.
However, thls Is Incidental and necessary In order to turther our charltable purpose. There are no other prlvate benefits. The
beneflclarles of this purpose ale members. thelr famllles. other Indlvlduals that the Presbyierian Church in Ireland 15 in direct
and indiiect contact with. the community in which pastoral sepilces are provlded and other communitle5 throughout
Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and worldwide which benefit from our engagement wlth and support for both
Chrlstlan and other secular Of8anlsatlons. charltles, and Indfvldual members of the publlc.
The Kirk Sesslon has had regard to the Charlty Commission's Publlc beneflt requlrement ststutory guldance.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The congregaiSon's maln source of Income Is members, contrltsJtlons throu8h the Weekly Freewlll Offerlng. There were 81
contiibutors during the year12022: 851 donating o total of £51,030 {2022- £50,788).
Total Income of the congregatlon durln8 the year was £104,950 compared to £95.002 In the pievlou5 year,
Total expendlture Increased from £110.293 In 2022 to £120.811 in 2023.
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the flnanclal statements of the congregation in accordance
with appllcable law and generally accepted accounting practice.
As the congregation's total income does not exceed £250,000, the Trustees have elected under Section 64131 of the Charltles
Act (Northern Irelandl 2008 to prepare a ￿CeiptS and payment account and a statement of assets and liabilities.
The Trustees are responslble for keepin8 adequate accounting records that ore 5ufficlent to show and explaln the
congregation's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time its financial position. They are also responslble
for safeguarding the assets of the con8re8ation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of
fraud and other Irregijlaritles.
Approved by the Kirk Session at a meeting on 29 February 2024 and signed on its behalf by
Rev Dr Martin McNe
Thomas Simpy)n
TrLEStee
Trustee